Specman makes major impact for Blitzboks

BLITZBOKS star Rosko Specman continued to show why he is a truly worldclass player with some sensational performances in Wellington at the weekend, which earned him the Impact Player-of-the-Tournament award.

The accolade is just reward for his great ability to combine his natural pace with some exceptional skills.

Specman’s 17 tackles, seven breaks, 27 carries and six offloads helped South Africa to their second final of the World Rugby Sevens Series, where they were beaten in a last minute thriller by hosts New Zealand.

The Blitzboks are now top in the series with 54 points, two points ahead of Fiji, but the Wellington leg was somewhat bittersweet for Specman, who started his professional career at the Sharks.

“The coach and the players are very disappointed,” said Specman, pictured. “There are calls you can’t make on the field, sometimes the bounce of the ball doesn’t go your way. It was a positive performance overall in the tournament and we know our game plan is on the right track.”

On day one of Wellington, South Africa started off strongly with wins over Scotland and Russia but their winning streak was ended by eventual winners New Zealand when Joe Webber scored a try late in the sides’ pool game. Finishing second in the pool saw them face Australia in the Cup quarter-final, which they won 26-14 to set up a huge clash with Fiji.

Specman shone as South Africa produced a fine display to win 31-0, as he scored a try and slotting two conversions. The player, who represents the Mpumalanga Pumas in the 15-man code, said that defending against teams with bigger players was a key focus for his team. “We are not the tallest guys so when we defend against much taller guys we like to close their space and try to just gang-tackle them to stop the offloads. If we can kill the momentum then we can play from that.”

Although Specman was given a yellow card in the final at Wellington, he still managed to score a crucial try to give South Africa a 12-0 lead in the first half and put them in a strong position.

Webber’s winning try after the final whistle snatched the game out of the SA’s hands, but there were plenty of positives to take going into Sydney this weekend, none more so than Specman’s personal performance.

“It’s key to enjoy yourself and use the space when playing Sevens. It’s not 15man rugby. There are a lot of 15s guys playing, so you must just know what your strong points are compared to theirs,” said Specman. “When you get to make line breaks it feels amazing. I always look for that one percent advantage when I get the ball. I like to make space and I treasure having it.” – ANA